What Does It Mean to Be a Hero

What does it mean to be a Hero?

Archetypes in Literature Cornell Notes

Topic: What is an epic and an archetype?*______

*______

I. Character__Archetypes:

The ______

______

______

Mentor-pupil-relationship

Hunting Group of Companions (side-kicks)
The ______

Creature of ______

The Damsel in Distress

The ______

II. ______Archetypes:

The journey:

An extended narrative poem in elevated (fancy) language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero. Gilgamesh is an ______.

Patterns that commonly appear in stories no matter what culture they come from. Archetypes can apply to ______of a story, ______in a story, and ______of a story.

Patterns depicted in characters of stories

protagonist whose life is depicted through a series of well-defined adventures. Usually he has an unusual birth, will have to leave his kingdom to go on some journey, and returns to his home a changed person. He is very brave, strong, has honor, and risks his life for the good of all. Examples: ______

The Hero returns home to fins that he is a stranger who can see new problems and new solutions.

The mentor is an older, wiser teacher to the Hero. He is sometimes viewed as a father figure. He gives the Hero gifts, food, magic, information, help, etc. Example: ______

The ______teaches the ______skill in order to survive his journey

Loyal friends to the ______who are willing to face hardships with him on his journey. Example: ______

A worthy opponent with whom the hero must fight in the end. Examples: ______

A monster (literally or figuratively) that threatens the life of the Hero and his companions. Example: ______

A woman (usually) who needs to be rescued by the Hero. She is often used to ______the hero. Example: ______

A woman whose beauty attracts the hero and brings about his downfall or gets him off course on his journey.

These are patterns in plots of stories

The journey sends the hero in search of ______that will help him save himself and/or his kingdom.

Stages of a hero’s journey (5 stages):

Stage 1: ______

Stage 2: ______

Stage 3: ______

Stage 4: ______

Stage 5: ______

The Task:

The Fall:

Death and Rebirth

Battle Between ______and ______

III.

______Archetypes

Patterns of symbols in stories

Wisdom vs. Stupidity:

Supernatural Intervention:

The Underworld:

Haven vs. Wilderness:

The ______:

the Hero is called (or forced) to adventure, although he is reluctant to accept

The hero crosses a threshold into a new, more dangerous world, where he gains more perspective in life

The Hero is given supernatural aide, endures tests of strength, resourcefulness, and endurance.

The Hero descends into the underworld and is reborn in some way, either physically or mentally (this is the final stand off btwn good and evil)

The Hero returns home and restore order to his kingdom

The nearly super human feats the Hero must perform in order to help ______or his ______.

The descent from a higher to lower state of being, usually as a punishment for screwing up (going from god-like to man)

The most ______situational archetype. Basically the Hero does someway (figuratively or literally) and is reborn.

When the hero, usually a symbol of goodness, battles and evil character. USUALLY, good triumphs over evil, thus showing man’s eternal optimism.

Some characters have wisdom while others, who are usually in charge and make tons of mistakes, do not. These people accompany the hero on his journey to give him advice.

When spiritual beings intervene on behalf of the hero.

A place of death where the hero faces his ______or a great challenge during his journey.

A haven is a place of ______which is typically contrasted to the wilderness, a place of ______. Heroes are often sheltered from the wilderness during their journey.

A place or time of decision when a realization is made and a change occurs in the Hero.

The Whirlpool:

Fog:

Colors:

______

IV. The Journey

Heroes can go on many types of journeys.

V. The Hero

The ______hero

______

Tragic Hero

______

Super hero

Symbolizes the destructive power of ______.

Symbolizes ______

Blood, sacrifice, passion

Growth, hope, fertility

Highly positive, security, tranquility, spiritual purity

darkness, chaos, mystery, death, evil

light, purity, innocence, timelessness

Wisdom, enlightenment

They can be a quest for: ______, vengence, love, ______, search for knowledge, a journey to save his people, or a ______which is penance for something they think they did wrong or did do wrong. It can also be an epic journey which occurs over a long period of time, usually years/decades of a hero’s life, which is what Gilgamesh is.

Strong, good-looking, noble, skilled in many areas, live by personal codes of honor, first to jump in and save the day, love the acclaim

the exact opposite of a traditional hero; reluctant to help, lacks courage and honesty, is physically and mentally weak. Also called a ______.

main character in a tragedy who makes an______that leads to his/her ______

Heroes who do not get credit for their great deeds and go unnoticed by society.

Heroes who have some sort of ______power that aides them in their tasks

Identifying Archetypal Elements in ______

The Hero
Type of Hero / Traditional/Classical Hero, Antihero, Tragic Hero, Unsung Hero, or Super Hero
Young Man from the Provinces
The Mentor
Mentor-pupil-relationship
Hunting Group of Companions (side-kicks)
The Shadow
Creature of Nightmare
The Damsel in Distress
The Temptress
The Journey / 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Task
The Fall
Death and Rebirth
Battle between good and evil
Supernatural Intervention
The Underworld
Haven vs. Wilderness
The Crossroads

Gilgamesh comes from ancient Sumeria, a region where the first civilizations arose, the site of modern-day Iraq.

The epic refers to a real Sumerian king, who ruled Uruk, around 2800–2750 BCE. His exploits were recognized in poems after his death, but these stories moved from memory to legacy to legend, circulating throughout the region as Sumeria became part of Akkadia, and then the Babylonian Empire. The stories were collected and organized by both Babylonian and Assyrian scribes or poets.

It is to the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal that we owe the story we know today. Copies of the epic were placed in his great library in Nineveh. And although invaders burned the library, the tablets crashed down into the ruined foundations, to be buried as they were built over by later generations.

Gilgamesh was effectively lost until the mid-1800s when British archaeologists uncovered the ruins and the tablets. They were sent to the British Museum in London for study, and gradually scholars deciphered the script and the language; this was chiefly the work of George Smith, whose translations caused a sensation.

Gilgamesh is a document of world history and civilization as much as a masterpiece of literature. Its literary themes—gods and humans, adventure, the quest for immortality, friendship, loss, and the getting of wisdom—show that the earliest stories drew on the same wellspring of human experience that has always inspired writers and readers.

Gilgamesh Questions

1.What's wrong with Gilgamesh when we first meet him?

2.How does Enkidu change Gilgamesh? Challenging the king to combat, as Enkidu does, was a deadly offense. Does the text ever clearly state why or how they go from enemies to friends?

3.Compare the characters of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Who was the more heroic? Why? Begin with an explanation of what you consider heroic and see if it is similar to what is considered heroic in the story.

4.There are several female characters in the epic — both divine and human. How are women represented in the epic? What roles do they play in the lives of Gilgamesh and Enkidu? Is there a difference between how mortal and divine women are represented? If so, what sorts of differences are there?

5.Why does Gilgamesh kill Humbaba? Does Humbaba deserve to die?

6.As he lies dying, Enkidu curses the harlot, and then revokes his curse and blesses her. Do you think he was better off in his natural, animal, state, or as a civilized man?